Her Highness Maharani Shri Gayatri Devi Sahiba, Maharani of Jaipur | home
Glossary
ADC (AIDE DE CAMP) - The Maharaja had personal ADCs, who looked after the running of his household, the welfare of his guests, and also acted as secretaries.
CHOWK - verandah or pavilion
DEVI - goddess, often used as a suffix to female names.
DIWAN-i-AM - Hall of public audiences.
DIWAN-i-KHAS - Hall of private audiences.
GADDI - Throne
GARH - Fort
JAGIR - Hereditary assignment of land given by government or ruler.
JAL - Water
KACHAWAS - Clan name of the Rajputs of Jaipur. The Maharaja of Jaipur is titular head of the Kachawas Rajputs. However, The Maharana of Udaipur is titular head of all 36 Rajput clans thus making him the most important of Rajput rulers.
KSHATRIYA - Hindu warrior caste.
MAHAL - Palace
MAHARAJA (variations include Maharana, Maharao, Maharawal, Maharawat) - "Great King, " the ruling prince of a state.
MAHARAJA DHIRAJ - Great Prince over Princes (used in the official title of the Maharaja of Jaipur).
MAHARANI - "Great Queen," consort of the maharaja.
MAHARAJ KUMARI - The daughter of the maharaja.
MAHARAJ KUMAR - The son of the maharaja.
MIRZA - When placed before the personal name the meaning is "learned" or "scribe", when placed after the personal name the meaning is son of a prince, from the short-form for Amirzada, son of a prince.
NIWAS - House
PADSHA-I-GHAZI - Victorious Emperor.
POL - Fortified gateway.
PURDAH - A veil or curtain; practice of keeping women in seclusion.
RAJA - King
RAJMATA - Queen Mother, Mother of the Raja.
RAJ RAJENDRA - Lord of Princes (used in the official title of the Maharaja of Jaipur).
RAJPUT - Literally means son of a king. A Hindu of the Kshatriya caste in Central and Western India from one of 36 so-called 'royal' clans.
RANI - Queen
SARAMAD-i-RAJAHA-i-HINDUSTAN - First Amongst the Rajas of India (used in the official title of the Maharaja of Jaipur).
SARBATO BHADRA - Sanskrit for Diwan-i-Khas. Hall of private audiences.
SAWAI - One and a quarter. When added to a title, meaning 25% superior than ordinary holders of the same title.
THAKUR ( variations include, jagirdar or zamindar) - A noble or landlord who is the ruler of a thikana, jagir, zamin. Until the independence of India all the Maharajas of the princely states granted these nobles land in return for loyalty, service, and tribute. Some of these services took the form of armed men, horses, elephants and camels.
THAKURINE (variation is thakrani) - consort of the Thakur.
THIKANA - Larger land grant, usually hereditary.
UDAIPUR - Princely state in Rajputana, also known as Mewar. The sovereign of Udaipur is called "Maharana" and is the titualar head of all 36 Rajput clans making him the foremost rulers in Rajputana. Udaipur has been ruled by chivalrous men such as Maharana Pratap, Maharana Sanga, Maharana Kumbh. Chittor is the former capital of Mewar and some of most famous women of Chittor are Maharani Padmini, Maharani Karnavati, and Yuvrani Mirabai.
UL-UMARA - Of the amirs, suffix used as part of the second highest title conferred by the Mughal and other important Muslim courts.
YUVRAJ - Heir apparent to the gaddi of a state.
YUVRANI - The consort the yuvraj.
ZAMIN - land, an estate, the system of tenure in which land revenue is imposed on an individual occupying the position of a landlord.
ZENANA - The women's quarters of the palace where the no males above the age of 12 other than immediate family members (such as husband, son, brother, or uncles) were allowed
